TheThirdConditional

ItisdifficulttofindsomethinginterestingtodowiththethirdconditionalofEnglish,but
studentsseemtofindtheexercisebelowfuntodo.
Grammatically,thepatternisrelativelystraightforward:thesocalledifclausecontains
had+pastparticipleandthesocalledthenclausetypicallycontainswouldorcould+have+
pastparticle(forexamples,seetheexercises).
Ofcourse,toactuallyteachthepattern,itismuchmoreeffectivetoputsomeexamples
ontheboardandhavethemlearntoimitatethepattern.Forthemajorityofstudents,such
technicaldescriptionsofpatternswouldbecompletelyuseless.
Ineachstory,thereisachainofeventswithonethingcausinganother,oneafteranother.
Thatis,eachthingthathappensdependsonsomethingthathappenedbefore.And,ofcourse,if
thefirsthadn'thappened,thesecondwouldn'thaveeither.
Dothefirststorytogetherwiththeclass.Guidethemthroughitwithquestionslike:If
EncikYahyahadn'teatenthebadapple,whatwouldn'thavehappened?Ifhehadn'tbeensick,
whatwouldn'thavehappened?Ifhehadn'tgonetothehospital,whatwouldn'thavehappened?
Ifhehadn'tmetFaridah,whatwouldn'thavehappened?And,soon.
Warning:thelastsentenceintheEncikYahyastoryisinthesecondconditional,notthe
third!Thestudentsarenotaskedtodoanythingwiththispattern,butsomeofthemmaynotice
thatitisdifferent.
Iftheclassneedstheguidance,asyoudothefirststory,writetheanswersontheboard
oneabovetheotherinawaythatmakesthepatternclear.
Thesecondstorycanbedoneindividually,inpairs,orasaclass,dependinguponhow
muchhelpthestudentsneed.Haveindividualstudentsreadthestorieswhentheyarecomplete.
StudentWorksheet
[ifpossible,pictureofEncikYahyaeatinganappleandthinkingofFaridah]
ThisisastoryaboutEncikYahya.
EncikYahyawasneverhappy.Oneday,heateabadapple.Itmadehimsick,sohehad
togotohospital.Atthehospital,hemetaprettynursenamedFaridah.Hefellinlovewith
Faridahandtheygotmarried.IfEncikYahyahadn'teatenthebadapple,hewouldn'tbeso
happytoday.
Now,tellthestoryaboutEncikYahyaanotherway:
Ifhehadn't?
1.
IfEncikYahyahadn'teatenthebadapple,hewouldn'thavegottensick.
2.
Ifhe_____________,he____________tohospital.
3.
Ifhe__________tothehospital,he_______________Faridah.
4.
Ifhe________Faridah,he________________inlovewithher.
5.
Ifhe__________inlovewithher,he_____________her.

6.

Ifhe__________her,hewouldn'tbesohappynow.

[ifpossible,drawapictureoflittleNorapullingthefirealarm]
ThisisastoryaboutlittleNora.
Ifonlyshehadn't?
LittleNorahadjustlearnedtoread.Oneday,shenoticedsomewritingonahandle.The
writingsaid,'Pull'.Norareadthewriting.Sheknewtheword'pull'.Soshepulledonthe
handle.Thefirealarmwentoff.Thatday,Noragottoseethefireengines.Itwasavery
excitingday.
Nora'smothertoldthestoryanotherway:
1.
Ifshehadn'tnoticedthewriting,shewouldn'thavereadit.
2.
Ifshe__________thewriting,she_______________thehandle.
3.
Ifshe__________thehandle,thefirealarm____________________.
4.
Ifthefirealarm_______________,shewouldn'thaveseenthefireengines.
5.
IfNorahadn'tlearnedtoread,shewouldn'thaveseenthefireenginesand,I_____
__________soembarrassed.
TheThirdConditional
ItisdifficulttofindsomethinginterestingtodowiththethirdconditionalofEnglish,but
studentsseemtofindtheexercisebelowfuntodo.
Grammatically,thepatternisrelativelystraightforward:thesocalledifclausecontains
had+pastparticipleandthesocalledthenclausetypicallycontainswouldorcould+have+
pastparticle(forexamples,seetheexercises).
Ofcourse,toactuallyteachthepattern,itismuchmoreeffectivetoputsomeexamples
ontheboardandhavethemlearntoimitatethepattern.Forthemajorityofstudents,such
technicaldescriptionsofpatternswouldbecompletelyuseless.
Ineachstory,thereisachainofeventswithonethingcausinganother,oneafteranother.
Thatis,eachthingthathappensdependsonsomethingthathappenedbefore.And,ofcourse,if
thefirsthadn'thappened,thesecondwouldn'thaveeither.
Dothefirststorytogetherwiththeclass.Guidethemthroughitwithquestionslike:If
EncikYahyahadn'teatenthebadapple,whatwouldn'thavehappened?Ifhehadn'tbeensick,

whatwouldn'thavehappened?Ifhehadn'tgonetothehospital,whatwouldn'thavehappened?
Ifhehadn'tmetFaridah,whatwouldn'thavehappened?And,soon.
Warning:thelastsentenceintheEncikYahyastoryisinthesecondconditional,notthe
third!Thestudentsarenotaskedtodoanythingwiththispattern,butsomeofthemmaynotice
thatitisdifferent.
Iftheclassneedstheguidance,asyoudothefirststory,writetheanswersontheboard
oneabovetheotherinawaythatmakesthepatternclear.
Thesecondstorycanbedoneindividually,inpairs,orasaclass,dependinguponhow
muchhelpthestudentsneed.Haveindividualstudentsreadthestorieswhentheyarecomplete.
StudentWorksheet
[ifpossible,pictureofEncikYahyaeatinganappleandthinkingofFaridah]
ThisisastoryaboutEncikYahya.
EncikYahyawasneverhappy.Oneday,heateabadapple.Itmadehimsick,sohehad
togotohospital.Atthehospital,hemetaprettynursenamedFaridah.Hefellinlovewith
Faridahandtheygotmarried.IfEncikYahyahadn'teatenthebadapple,hewouldn'tbeso
happytoday.
Now,tellthestoryaboutEncikYahyaanotherway:
Ifhehadn't?
1.
IfEncikYahyahadn'teatenthebadapple,hewouldn'thavegottensick.
2.
Ifhe_____________,he____________tohospital.
3.
Ifhe__________tothehospital,he_______________Faridah.
4.
Ifhe________Faridah,he________________inlovewithher.
5.
Ifhe__________inlovewithher,he_____________her.
6.
Ifhe__________her,hewouldn'tbesohappynow.

[ifpossible,drawapictureoflittleNorapullingthefirealarm]
ThisisastoryaboutlittleNora.
Ifonlyshehadn't?

LittleNorahadjustlearnedtoread.Oneday,shenoticedsomewritingonahandle.The
writingsaid,'Pull'.Norareadthewriting.Sheknewtheword'pull'.Soshepulledonthe
handle.Thefirealarmwentoff.Thatday,Noragottoseethefireengines.Itwasavery
excitingday.
Nora'smothertoldthestoryanotherway:
1.
Ifshehadn'tnoticedthewriting,shewouldn'thavereadit.
2.
Ifshe__________thewriting,she_______________thehandle.
3.
Ifshe__________thehandle,thefirealarm____________________.
4.
Ifthefirealarm_______________,shewouldn'thaveseenthefireengines.
5.
IfNorahadn'tlearnedtoread,shewouldn'thaveseenthefireenginesand,I_____
__________soembarrassed.